How Smart Cities are Changing Urban Living

The rise of “smart cities” is changing the way we perceive major metropolis areas. This year for the first time, the CES show in Las Vegas has an entire area devoted to the smart city concept.

(Newswire.net -- February 7, 2018) -- Technology is evolving at an astronomical pace, and one area that’s poised to see major changes over the next decade is city life. The rise of “smart cities” is changing the way we perceive major metropolis areas. The 2018 CES show in Las Vegas kicked off this weekend, and for the first time, an entire area at the conference was devoted to the smart city concept.

This area, dubbed the Smart Cities Marketplace, was presented by Deloitte and featured tech from major companies like Samsung, Ford, and Bosch. These businesses are working on pioneering solution to transform cities as we know. Design firms like Ozarch are taking a collaborative approach to engineering urban living design.

Contrary to popular belief, recent studies are have shown that urban living beats suburban living in terms of human well-being. Architecture firms like Ozarch, http://ozarch.com/practice-areas/higher-education, are designing urban landscapes with this modern tech approach in mind. As a result, the scope of city living is shifting. New “smart cities” are poised to become fully-integrated communities that utilize technology more than ever before, promote social interaction, and enhance safety.

Cleaner Cities

In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Clean Streets program is spearheaded by technology, and has made major headway. It uses mobile data collection and property information to detect garbage-plagued areas where cleanup is most necessary. Similar initiatives in the city have identified and created a master profile of all the “problem properties” in the city that need assistance with rehabilitation.

At the end of the program, there was an 80% reduction in unclean areas. Not only do these type of efforts keep areas clean, but eliminate disparities and grey area that affect how these “unkempt” areas are identified and fixed. Previously, cities relied on resident complaints to maintain records and address issues. In the smart cities of tomorrow, keeping cities clean will be much more streamlined and automatic.

Quicker Maintenance

Maintenance crews will be able to utilize technology that allows them to remotely identify areas in need of repair. Sensor-equipped water pipes will be able to identify leaks, while electric meters can track power use, and even parking meters have enhanced capabilities to automatically flag parking violations. Even today, cities like Chicago are using data tech to locate potholes and schedule repairs, without relying on manpower to discover the issue.

Better Transportation Flow

5G wireless technology will be able to transform a city’s electric grid. Research has shown that these solutions could save cities $160 million on fuel costs and energy use, making traffic management much easier. Traffic lights will become smarter, too. Rather than work off of set timers, they’ll respond based on current flow of traffic. These 5G networks are also key enablers for innovations like virtual reality and self-driving vehicles.

In Kansas City, streetlights are equipped with sensors that gather information about traffic and available parking in the area. This data is then siphoned to a public website, where city residents can see how quickly or slowly traffic is moving, and even view available parking spots. These sensors are even able to pick up foot traffic, which could be a valuable tool for businesses looking to open retail locations in areas with verifiable movement. Using the same sensor technology, lights can dim and brighten depending on traffic, saving the city money.

More In-Home Safety

Safety isn’t just about what’s happening outdoors. Smart cities want homes to be just as smart as the city in its entirety. The New Orleans Fire Department is a great example of the potential here. The team used data and machine learning techniques to identify areas that were most likely not to have fire alarms, and therefore needed to be targeted for fire alarm distribution. That year, they installed 18,000 smoke detectors in high-risk areas, compared to the 800 that were installed with the previous program.

Smart Cities of Tomorrow

Currently, smart city concepts are being integrated into cities everywhere. Moving forward, those cities are expected to be much more refined and concentrated, and big tech companies are footing the bill. Sidewalk Labs (a Google company) is positioned to spearhead its first smart city on a Toronto waterfront. A $50 million investment is poised to transition the neighborhood of Quayside into a smart, digitally connected city with self-driving cars, people-friendly streets, and underground freights.

Microsoft is also building its own smart city in Washington, complete with energy-optimized smart buildings. The 500-acre space will have 125 buildings, restaurants, a mall, and more. The company will invest $150 million into transportation infrastructure and public, green spaces.

Lastly, Panasonic is creating their own smart community in Colorado, which is set to be complete near the Denver International Airport by 2026. The 400-acre land will come equipped with free WiFi for residents, pollution sensors, LED streetlights, integrated security cameras, and a solar-powered micro grid. They’re also in the works of building a high-tech road that “talks” to self-driving cars.